The American Hockey League, which is the top minor league for the NHL, approved some rules for the upcoming season last week designed to curb fighting, but University of Maine assistant men’s hockey coach Ben Guite, who played in 653 AHL games and 175 NHL games, said the new rules “aren’t going to change things a whole lot.”

“I think what they’re trying to do is eliminate the one-dimensional player,” said Guite, referring to enforcers or goons whose primary job is to provide muscle and fight.

The AHL often adopts rules that are different than the NHL and then the NHL will monitor the success or failure of those rules and can decide whether to adopt them.